Metamorphosis
by Gamemakers
Summary: Annie Cresta has always been Finnick Odair's strong, confident best friend. When she volunteers as tribute in the 70th Games, Finnick knows he will do whatever it takes to save her. As Finnick and Annie begin to realize their feelings for each other, neither of them wants to confront an important question: if Annie comes out alive, will she ever be the same again?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi everybody! The M rating is for mentions of forced prostitution and smut. I wanted to write Annie as a Career because even though Four is a Career district, there don't seem to be many fan fictions with Annie as a career. I do want this to be canon compliant, so please point out any continuity errors as well as any spelling or grammar mistakes I may have missed.

**Update 8/23/2014:** I'm currently rewriting portions of this story, but will not take down the original chapters until the new ones are complete. The main body of this work is now finished, but there is an epilogue coming.

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I don't own the Hunger Games. Sadly for me, Finnick Odair is both fictional and the joint property of Suzanne Collins and Annie Cresta.

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"I don't care what you have to say, Finnick, I'm going to volunteer tomorrow. Shut up so I can enjoy my last night in Four." Annie pointedly did not look at him as she spoke, instead watching the waves as they swept onto the shore.

Finnick paled at the thought of Annie not coming back. He couldn't live without his friend. Annie and Mags were all he had left.

She noticed his distress, then added in a softer, gentler tone, "I meant until I come back a victor, Finnick, not the last night ever. I'm going to win this thing."

Finnick smiled, reassured. He quickly adopted his Capitol persona, the smooth, overtly sexual Finnick that was so unlike his actual self that it always made Annie laugh. "The sooner you agree with me, the sooner we can get on with the best part of this evening." Finnick arched his eyebrows suggestively and winked. He earned a giggle from Annie, but she didn't give in.

"Or we could spar, which would be far more fun. Even though I could probably beat you in about three seconds, it would probably last longer too," joked Annie.

The only appropriate response to that affront was righteous indignation. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but sex on the beach with _the _Finnick Odair happens to be the ultimate fantasy of every woman in Panem." He closed the remaining distance between them to whisper in her ear "and all your dreams could come true."

At that, Annie looked uncomfortable. Finnick immediately felt terrible. They joked about sex all the time, but he had just crossed a line, acting too much like the Finnick the Capitol knew.

He was sure that Annie knew about his work in the Capitol. Everyone knew that no person was too old, ugly, or unpleasant for Finnick Odair. As long as they were rich beyond imagination, the Most Beautiful Man in Panem, a title that made Finnick extremely uncomfortable, could be theirs, at least for a short time. Everything about his prostitution in the Capitol was terrible, but he thought the worst was the silent judgment from the people in Four. In this district, victors were viewed with a certain amount of respect, so everyone kept up a polite mask, but Finnick had been pretending for so long that he could see through their thin veil of politeness. They were all disgusted by him. District Four saw him as a traitor to the Capitol lifestyle. Finnick could not blame them. Sometimes, he disgusted himself as well.

Annie was different. She was worried by the life that he lived in the Capitol, but not repulsed. Deep down, Finnick thought that Annie was scared that someday her friend would be completely devoured by Capitol Finnick. One day, she would go to the train station expecting Finnick, only to find Finnick Odair, the Capitol's preening plaything. She kept quiet about her fears. Only once had she confronted him about his lifestyle in the Capitol. Shortly after his sixteenth birthday, she had asked him to walk down the beach with her, where she had asked him angrily how he could sleep with the same people that had forced him to murder children for their entertainment. He had pushed her away, blowing off her worries by saying that it was just for fun, an easy way to get off and have fun at the Capitolites' lavish parties. Annie had been angry at him, but she had never brought up the subject again.

He still hadn't told her why he accepted clients. Finnick felt guilty about it, but he didn't know how to bring up that sensitive subject, especially with his best friend. Or maybe she was more than his best friend. He wasn't really sure what Annie was to him anymore. They had always been friends, but in the last few months, Finnick had felt a stronger connection growing. He didn't know yet whether they would stay close friends or something more. With Annie going in to the Arena, he didn't know if he would ever have a chance to find out.

Annie was still standing next to him, both of them quiet after his misstep. He broke the awkward moment of silence with a more serious plea. "Please Annie, don't volunteer. Victors' lives may seem fantastic, but it's not worth what you have to go through."

Annie looked at him, shocked. "You really think that's why I'm volunteering? For the money? Finnick, I am better trained and better prepared than any other girl in Four. If I don't volunteer, some other girl will have to go into the arena. Guess what? She'll probably die in there. I don't think I could live knowing that I could have saved another child's life. Is that really all you think of me – that I want to win so I can live in a fancy house and have more money than I can count?" She paused for a moment, awaiting a reply. None came. "I'm going home now. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned away from him and half-ran across the beach towards the wharf, where most of the fishermen and their families lived.

He ran after her for a few steps and gently grabbed her wrist. "I'm sorry," he said. "But please Annie, don't volunteer. I don't want you to be like me and …" he trailed off. Even as he started to reveal his secret, he lost the courage to tell Annie exactly what being an attractive victor entailed.

She waited for him to finish his sentence, but when she saw that no more words were forthcoming, she gave his hand a squeeze. "See you tomorrow, okay?" Annie leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his lips before she walked away.

Finnick could only stand there with what he was sure was a stupid grin on his face and watch the gentle sway of her hips as she walked away. Annie Cresta had truly managed to surprise him today.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading my first attempt at fan fiction! I really hope you enjoyed it. Any feedback is much appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

His name was not in the Reaping Ball this year, but Finnick had never felt more nervous on Reaping Day. Mags reached over and patted his hand, but he pushed her away. He was truly grateful for her concern, but the Capitol's cameras were fixed on the stage. The Capitolites didn't want to see Finnick as what he was: a weak, broken young man who was terrified for his best friend. They loved cocky, arrogant Finnick, who would have no need for the comfort a little old lady could provide. That Finnick would be excited for the Games, anxious to rejoin the high society life in the Capitol. He needed to be _that _Finnick now, for the sake of everyone he cared about.

Camille began her opening remarks. Finnick forced himself to listen to the first few lines, just to see if they were any different from last year's, but as usual, nothing had changed. Before she had finished welcoming them to this _exciting _day, she had lost his attention.

_What's going to happen to Annie? Will she be all right?_

He felt like a nervous wreck, but Finnick doubted anyone but Mags and perhaps Annie could tell how anxious he was. Over the last five years, he had mastered hiding his true feelings. He could keep up what Annie called his 'Finnick Odair: Playboy Extraordinaire' persona with almost no conscious thought. His guise was firmly in place, so Finnick felt no need to pay attention to the proceedings. Throughout the introductions and film, he found himself thinking about Annie. Maybe there was still a chance that she would not volunteer. No, now he was lying to himself. She was too strong, too proud to allow another girl to die in her place. He still wished she would change her mind, but he had to admit he was proud of her. Her courage and willingness to sacrifice herself for others amazed him. Actually, a lot of things about her amazed him. Her kindness, strength, intelligence -

No time to think about that now. His immediate focus should be on getting Annie out of that Arena alive. He had already talked to Mags, who was also mentoring this year, and they had agreed that he would take Annie. Finnick didn't think he could mentor the other tribute. It wouldn't be fair to the boy if his mentor was only interested in saving his district partner. The Arena was terrible enough even if you had a supportive mentor to watch over you; it would only be worse if they wanted you dead. The boy deserved every resource available to help him come home, and Mags was the best mentor he could ask for. Yes, the boy would be well taken care of.

The film started, but Finnick hardly noticed. He had more important things to think about.

Though he had been pondering strategies for Annie since the end of the last Games, he hadn't made any final decisions yet. Finnick told himself that he just wanted Annie's input. She would be resistant to any plan she had not had a hand in making. However, there had been plenty of opportunities in the last year to discuss a strategy, and Finnick had never brought up the topic. Deep down, Finnick knew he was just avoiding thinking about the Games, about the possibility of Annie going into the Arena and potentially not coming back. Making decisions made everything seem more _real_. If he didn't have any final plans, Annie going into the Games was still just hypothetical. She couldn't become a pawn to Snow or, even worse, come back in a coffin.

That was the image that had haunted his dreams for years. Ever since his own Games, he had suffered from terrible nightmares of what Annie could suffer in the Arena. Sometimes it seemed that every night a different scenario played in his head while he slept. Annie slowly dying of dehydration as sponsors refused to give enough for even a small bottle of water. Annie stabbed by a big, burly, male Career. Annie chased for hours before being caught and eaten by the feathered, serpent-like creatures that Finnick had fought off during his Games. In these dreams, Finnick invariably sat in the Mentors' Lounge in the Training Center, unable to help, watching his best friend die on the screen. Waking up didn't stop the dread. Any of these scenarios could happen. Finnick wasn't creative enough to come up with these deaths by himself; he had seen all of them play out in past Games.

He couldn't bear to lose his friend, but the logical part of him knew that it was going to happen. Annie was only one of twenty-four children going into the Arena. All of them wanted to return to their families alive. Annie had trained, but he knew that did not always protect one in the Games. He must be prepared to mourn her. After all, even those tributes that made it out alive were never all right afterwards. The Arena took far more than lives.

Shouldn't Camille have started calling names by now? Maybe she had, maybe Annie hadn't volunteered. He just wanted this to be over with, to get on the train with two children he didn't know, not get attached, and watch them die. That would be easier than standing here waiting for his best friend to volunteer.

Adding to his uneasiness, Finnick didn't know how or even if the kiss changed things between them. Although he doubted that he would have slept the night before the Reaping anyway, Finnick had spent hours tossing and turning, wondering why she had chosen to kiss him that evening. He hoped she had been trying to admit her feelings for him. Finnick had long ago accepted that he cared for her, and a part of him suspected that she felt the same way, but he had never worked up the courage to ask. He was afraid that if she did not return his feelings, that question would open a divide between them. Finnick loved Annie, but the possibility of a relationship with her was not worth the cost of their friendship.

When had Annie Cresta become so important to him? If he thought back to before his own Games, he knew that he had not been in love when he was reaped. He did not think that he had loved her when she greeted him at the train station upon his return. Had he fallen for her when she comforted him after his Games, when she had accepted the new him which repulsed most of Four? Or had it been more recent, after one of his many trips to the Capitol? He didn't know when it had happened, but he was now hopelessly in love with the beautiful green-eyed girl. Finnick gazed at her. She was in the back, far away from the stage with the other eighteen year olds, but he could still make out her form, staring determinedly at the stage. He promised himself that he would do anything necessary to bring Annie back.

Annie's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I volunteer!" she said , more loudly than was necessary to be heard on the stage. Finnick watched as she walked to the steps of the Justice Building. His exterior nonchalance was beginning to melt away, revealing the scared man underneath. This was happening. Annie was going into the Arena.

He could not stop staring at Annie as she stood barely ten feet away from him on the stage. He did not notice as the twelve year old boy was reaped or as a strong eighteen year old volunteered to take his place in the Arena. Finnick only barely registered the tall, redheaded man, Seannan Donaghue, he remembered from training, as he stepped into place beside Annie.

At Camille's request, Annie and Seannan shook hands. The crowd applauded their new tributes with enthusiasm. District Four always thanked volunteers. People understood that they were willing to give up their lives to protect the weaker children of the district. Finnick could tell that Annie was scared, but she managed a flippant salute to the camera before she was led off the stage. He snorted in laughter at her irreverence before offering his arm to Mags and guiding her to the train that would take them to the Capitol. He had a lot of work ahead of him.

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**A/N:** Thank you to everybody who followed, favorited, or reviewed. I really appreciate the feedback! Giving credit where credit is due: the lovely cover image comes from jailb8 on tumblr.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to Odestalovebaby for the review!

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Finnick's mother had impressed the importance of good table manners upon her son from an early age, so he knew that balancing spoons on your nose at the dinner table was incredibly impolite. That didn't stop him from laughing every time Annie did it. Camille, District Four's escort, hadn't caught on to Annie's actions yet, but Seannan and Mags had noticed. Mags was trying to give Annie a disapproving frown, but the crinkles around her eyes revealed her amusement. Seannan looked incredibly uncomfortable with Annie's lighthearted attitude to the otherwise solemn occasion. He kept nervously glancing from his district partner to the mentors, silently pleading with Finnick and Mags to stop Annie before she was caught. Neither of the mentors wanted to stop the woman's fun. It was probably one of her last opportunities to truly act her age before she went into the Arena.

Eventually, Camille ran out of adjectives to describe the _incredible _party with _fascinating _guests and _truly spectacular _entertainment that she had attended two nights before. Unfortunately for Annie, her story ended while a piece of the train's silverware was dangling off of her nose.

Camille, as it turns out, was capable of going from cheerful to scandalized almost instantaneously. "Such an incredible lack of manners!" she sniffed. "I expected such behavior in Nine, those children are hardly raised as more than animals. I was surprised when they even knew how to use their silverware, they all ate like such barbarians. But you, you Annie Cresta, are from District Four! You are a volunteer for goodness sakes! I expect you to know how to sit at a table."

"I'm pretty sure that I just showed that I do know how to use silverware. Maybe not for its intended purpose, but I used it. And I am sitting at a table." Camille stared at Annie, obviously shocked by her insolence.

"Well I'll never!" she sniffed. "I can't believe this at all."

Finnick cut Camille off before anybody's feelings got hurt. "I'm sure that Annie meant no offense, Camille. She has never been in such marvelous company before. Her manners just slipped for a moment." He looked at Annie, hoping that she would take the hint and apologize. Luckily, she did.

"I am very sorry for my poor manners tonight," said Annie. "I would like to excuse myself now so that I can reflect on my behavior," she added as she rose out of her chair. She left for her room, and after ten minutes of chatting with Camille and Mags as Seannan sat silently staring out the window, Finnick followed.

"That was laying it on a little thick, don't you think?" teased Annie as he stepped into her compartment. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, avoiding touching the furniture. Finnick understood. His first night on the train, he had stared at the huge white bed in his room trying to understand why a poor fisherman's son was allowed to even be in the same room as such beautiful, pristinely clean objects. He flopped down on the loveseat by the door.

"Maybe a little, but that's the best way to deal with Capitol people. They don't tend to pick up on anything subtle." They both laughed. Annie pulled him off the couch, and they play wrestled for a few minutes. Finnick did try to win, but he ended up pinned on his back, Annie hovering over him.

"Are you okay, Finnick?" she asked suddenly. He looked up at her, surprised by the question. "The closer we get to the Capitol, the sadder you seem to get. No matter what I did at dinner to make you laugh, I couldn't get rid of the worry from your face." She paused for a moment "I'm your friend – please let me help you."

"I don't think you can help with this," he replied, his voice quiet and sad. "It's not your fault, that's all I can really tell you." He reached up and made gentle circles on her cheek with his thumb, hoping that she would be able to see how much he regretted not being able to share his secret with her. Snow had made it clear that nobody, not even his closest friends and family, was to know that Finnick did not accept his clients in the Capitol by choice. He had been a fool once, telling his mother and father what was occurring when they had become worried by their son's behavior. The murders of his entire family shortly afterwards were proof enough that Snow had not been bluffing. Telling Annie, especially somewhere as closely monitored by Snow as the trains, would be a certain death sentence during the Games. Finnick had heard whispers in the Mentors' Lounge of tributes being targeted by mutts or the supposedly pre-determined environment in the arena if Snow wanted to punish their mentor. He could not risk that happening to Annie. It would already be difficult to get her out alive.

Finnick begged her with his eyes to stop questioning him, and Annie seemed to understand. She sat next to him and enveloped him in her arms. "It'll be all right," Annie whispered. "I'll come back to you, just like you came back to me. In just a couple weeks, this nightmare will be over and we'll never have to worry about the Games again. And we'll be neighbors. Won't that be fun?"

Annie was trying to be funny, and he knew he should laugh, but Finnick could no longer stop the tears he had been holding in since Annie volunteered. He cried quietly and held Annie. She comforted him, rubbing his back and shushing him like a child. Eventually, Finnick ran out of tears, but they stayed where they were, their limbs entangled. Annie leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Finnick's left cheek. Finnick turned slightly to complete the kiss. It was barely a peck, but he was still slightly dazed by the thought that he had just kissed Annie.

"Better?" she asked. He gave her a soft smile and kissed her again.

"Getting there," he replied as confidently as he could. "I think that kiss might have helped. "Maybe another one just to check?" He grinned and raised an eyebrow.

Annie laughed. "Don't get too used to it Odair." She rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her. Neither of them wanted to separate, so they lay there, not talking, just enjoying the closeness, and eventually dozing off in each other's arms.

Camille's knock woke them up the next morning. Before either of them could get up to answer, she opened the door. "Oh!" she said, obviously surprised to see them laying together on the ground fully clothed. "Well I'll never! We'll have to talk to Mags about this one young man!" She left the compartment to go find Mags, the sound of her heels echoing down the hallway.

Finnick wasn't worried about Mags's reaction. She would understand the need to be close to his best friend before she went into the arena. He waved goodbye at Annie, who was trying to get the knots out of her long, dark hair, and walked back to his own compartment to find a new set of clothes for the day.

Breakfast was extremely uncomfortable. Camille was visibly upset at Finnick for what she probably saw as him taking advantage of his attractive female tribute, and was trying to punish him by not talking. Nobody else at the table really wanted to talk to Camille anyway, so her punishment wasn't working. Mags and Finnick had chatted politely for the first few minutes of the meal, but it quickly became obvious that nobody but Finnick could understand Mags's garbled speech. He made a mental note to act as a translator for Seannan if the man did not pick up on Mags's speech quickly. Annie was uncharacteristically quiet throughout the meal, only picking at her plateful of food. Eventually, Mags and Finnick gave up their attempts at conversation and the party sat in uncomfortable silence.

"Whoah," gasped Seannan. Finnick glanced up. He was so focused on Annie that he had nearly forgotten the man was there. Finnick turned so that he could see out the window. They were just starting to enter the Capitol. His vision narrowed and his heart raced as he began to panic. _I can't go back … please, please … no, I don't want to, no, no, please don't force me. _

Annie's touch brought him back to reality. She had reached under the table to squeeze his hand. She looked at him, concerned, ignoring the views of the Capitol to make sure he was okay. He nodded, staring stonily out the window, but he did not pull away as they neared the train station.

There were thousands of people waiting for them. District Four, as a Career district, was always popular, but this year the station was more crowded than Finnick had seen it since his own Games. He supposed it made sense. Annie and Seannan were both strong and attractive, and either one of them had a good chance of winning. Capitol citizens always wanted to be able to say they had supported the victor from the very beginning.

Finnick took moment to compose himself before stepping off the train. Once his Capitol persona was securely in place, he stepped into the mass of people. The noise of the crowd nearly deafened him, but he continued to stride purposefully towards the Training Center, not even pausing to wink at a few members of the crowd. This year, Finnick could not be bothered to be his usual, charming Capitol self. This year, Finnick was going to bring back a victor.

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A/N: The next chapter will be the week of training. Please review! I really do appreciate any feedback, positive or negative.


	4. Chapter 4

Finnick had always thought Annie was pretty, but in her parade outfit, no one could deny that she was gorgeous. Suki, Annie's stylist, had truly outdone herself this year. She had created a long, flowing gown for Annie in shades of blue and green that complemented Annie's dark skin. The movement of the chariot caused the fabric to shift, creating the illusion of flowing water. Annie's long brown hair had been allowed to flow freely, and a simple pearl tiara had been placed on her head. She was breathtaking.

With the exception of Finnick, the crowd took little notice of Annie. Instead, most of their cheers directed at Seannan or Luster, the female tribute from District One. Finnick was glad. It would be useful to have sponsors, but Annie would be better off after the Games if the Capitol did not notice her beauty.

He forced himself to stop staring at Annie in order to size up the competition. As always, all of the tributes from Districts One and Two looked strong. Both from Three were little, but if they were anything like Beetee or Wiress, they could be a serious threat. The boy from Five seemed to have a broken arm, but his district partner was tall and muscular. Unsurprisingly, Six, Eight, Eleven, and Twelve did not have a single decent tribute among them. Finnick was wary of Seven's tributes, as even small children in that district could wield axes, but neither of them looked very strong. The boy from Nine was enormous, dwarfing the girl next to him. Finnick estimated that he was well over two meters tall and had twenty-five kilos on even the next largest tribute. If he gained any weapons skills during Training, he would be a very dangerous opponent. The girl from Ten had an aura about her that Finnick didn't like. He didn't know if it was just confidence, or if she had a skill she was hiding, but he mentally noted her as someone to watch out for. He should talk to Haymitch. The older mentor knew that none of his tributes ever stood a chance, and was generally willing to give Finnick some insight into the competition.

The parade never lasted long, and soon they were all back in District Four's quarters in the Training Center. Annie and Seannan disappeared for a few moments to change out of their parade outfits. Once they were gone, Mags turned to Finnick. "Careful, boy," she said, staring directly into his eyes. Her face, usually so unreadable, betrayed her concern for Finnick.

Finnick nodded. His actions during the parade had been dangerous. If Snow suspected how much Annie meant to him, he could choose to have her targeted. Finnick was most attractive to the Capitol's citizens, and therefore most valuable to Snow, if he was unattached. A girlfriend or boyfriend back home would make his clients feel guilty or uncomfortable about what they did to him. As long as he was single, they could believe that this was his choice. If he were in love, his clients would have to face the fact that they were raping him. Finnick had no problem with his clients feeling guilty about their encounters with him, but he did want to keep Annie safe. He needed to be less obvious in his feelings towards her.

Mags understood his gesture and looked relieved. She patted his thigh gently, turning as Annie came back.

"We should talk strategy," Finnick said to Annie. She nodded.

"I already have one." That was surprising. Annie noticed his expression and smiled before she continued. "I just have to kill the other people without getting killed myself, win, and come home. It's really just an outline now, but I'll work out the details as I go along."

Finnick chuckled. "Those are generally good steps to follow." His voice became more serious, "are you planning on joining the Career pack?"

Annie nodded. "I think so – I'll have to see tomorrow if any of them seem like decent allies, but right now I'd say yes. Even if I decide not to join the Pack, I think I'll stick with Seannan. We were talking before the parade, and decided it would be safest to do this together."

"Okay, sounds good. Let me know, okay?" Annie nodded. "Tomorrow, you start training. Try to keep to the things you're good at. Impress the other tributes, but don't show them everything you can do. It's always good to have a few surprises ready during the Games."

"I think I'll show them how I can throw knives. I've been studying some basic healing and first aid with my grandmother, but I'll keep that to myself for now."

"Excellent plan. I'd also take a look at edible plants area. It's important for the obvious reasons, but it can also sometimes reveal hints about the environment in the arena. I think the trainers have some idea what you'll be going into, and if we can identify the types of plants they're focusing on, we might be able to get a feel of the arena before you go in. Okay?"

"Yeah," Annie replied. She was glad to have a plan for the next day.

Finnick turned to check the clock. "I've got to go … meet with somebody tonight. I think I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Good luck if I don't."

"See you tomorrow." Annie looked hurt, but she did not try to stop him from leaving.

He had hoped that Annie would somehow understand that he didn't want to leave, but she had not picked up on his reluctance. Finnick never actually wanted to see his clients, and tonight more than ever he wished he was free. Annie wanted his comfort in her last few days before the Games, but Finnick knew that it was more important that he fulfill his obligations to the president so that she would have a chance in the arena. To keep her safe he needed to do as Snow demanded.

As appointments went, that night wasn't bad. The man who had hired him seemed more interested in being able to tell his friends that he had slept with Finnick Odair than the actual act itself. Finnick always felt emotionally bruised after an encounter with a client, but at least this one had not physically injured him as well. Finnick returned to the fourth floor a bit later than he had expected. All he wanted to do right now was curl up in a ball in the shower and try to wash off any trace of the man from his body, but he decided to check on Annie first. No light was visible through the crack under her door. Finnick assumed that like any sane person at this hour, Annie was asleep. He showered and changed into the Capitol's too-soft pajamas before falling asleep.

Finnick slept through breakfast the next morning, and by the time he woke up, Annie and Seannan were already gone. Camille left him alone, but the look on her face told Finnick that she was disappointed in him. He should have been up to see his mentee off on her first day of training, even if that meant giving up his party boy lifestyle for an evening. Finnick tried not to let Camille's disapproval bother him, but it still stung that she believed he cared so little for the tributes he mentored.

Finnick had another appointment that afternoon, so he wasn't able to see Annie again until dinnertime. "It went very well," Annie said before he had even said hello. "I'm definitely joining the Career pack. I don't think that giant from Nine likes me at all, and I want to be safe with a group if he's around."

"The other Careers are good," Seannan said. Finnick was surprised to hear him talk. He didn't think Seannan had spoken since they got off the train. "I think we can beat them though," he finished. That was probably the most that Finnick had ever heard the boy say. Even when they were in school together, Seannan had always been shy. He wondered how the man's interview would go. Right now, though, he needed to think about training.

"Sounds good. Have you figured out what to do tomorrow?" he asked.

"I'm going to go to the edible plants section while Seannan works on camouflage in the morning. Then we'll both work on weapons training in the afternoon," said Annie. Seannan nodded to signal his agreement with his partner's plan.

Mags smiled. She was pleased with Annie's enthusiasm.

"If it has Mags's approval, it must be a great idea. You two seem to have it all under control. Why do you need me again?" Finnick said.

"We don't. You're just decorative Odair," Annie replied jokingly. "But don't worry, you're a cute decoration. We'll keep you." Even Seannan had to smile at that barb.

They fell into a routine over the next couple days. Mags, Finnick, Annie, Seannan, and Camille would all eat breakfast together, during which they would discuss their plans for training that day. Finnick had an appointment every afternoon, but he managed to be back in time for dinner each night. For the first few minutes at the table, they would talk about the day's events, trying to formulate a plan for the Games. However, after the second course, any discussion of the Games was taboo. They instead talked about anything and everything else, doing their best to ignore the horrors in store for Annie and Seannan.

All too soon, the day of the interviews came. The night before, they had learned that Seannan and Annie had both received training scores of nine. The tributes were pleased with their scores, and Finnick could now tell potential sponsors that his tributes were among the top favorites to win this year. That morning, Camille gave Annie lessons on posture and how to walk in high heels. Finnick watched for a while, but Annie got annoyed when he laughed after she fell for the fourth or fifth time. She and Camille then banned Finnick from the room while they finished. He tried to spy on them by watching through the keyhole in the door, but Mags found him and scolded him. All three women had laughed at the shade of pink he turned after being reprimanded by the old woman.

After lunch, Finnick and Annie were supposed to prepare a persona for her interview. Instead, they went up to the roof and watched the clouds. To Annie, laying with Finnick and trying to spot fish in the clouds was a far better way to spend her last day of freedom than preparing for an interview she didn't want to give. She did her best to not be nervous, but she knew that tonight could decide whether she lived or died in the arena.

"Finnick?" she spoke softly, "How do you think I should act tonight? What should I try to be?"

He studied her for a moment. "Just be you. I'm sure the audience will love real Annie just as much as I do." Finnick was surprised by his own words. He did love Annie, he had just never thought about his feelings in those terms before this moment. He looked back at her face. "Annie Cresta, you are smart, funny, strong, and beautiful. The audience will see that and want to save you."

Annie smiled back at him, content. "I love you too, Finnick," she whispered. He put his arms around her then, bringing her close for a kiss. Their lips barely brushed each other at first, but soon the kisses became more insistent. Annie wanted more, but she contented herself with holding him tightly and stroking his hair and face as they kissed. She hoped this moment never ended. She wanted to stay here with Finnick, not worrying about the nightmares that she would face during the Games.

She looked at the clock that hung on the door to the roof. "Finnick," she asked, "what time are we supposed to be back to get ready for the interviews?"

"Four. Why?"

"It's four twenty right now." With that, her friend bounced up. They could not be more than twenty minutes late if Annie were to succeed in her interview. Finnick helped Annie up before they walked back to the fourth floor together. There, they found Suki waiting for them impatiently. She glared at Finnick, upset that he had kept her waiting for Annie. Suki grasped Annie's hand and pulled her into the elevator that led to the Prep Room. Annie gave him a little wave goodbye before the elevator doors closed.

Finnick was not left alone for long, as his prep team was expecting him at five fifteen. He used his time to eat a snack and check the betting odds for the Games. Seannan was favored to win, but Annie was also considered a strong contender. One, Two, and the boy from Nine seemed to be the only other tributes that this agency believed had a chance. A glance at the clock informed him that it was time to go to the Prep Room. He threw away his apple core and got onto the elevator.

Finnick could not sit still in his auditorium seat. Luckily, the woman he was escorting this evening had not gotten upset yet. She was far too busy running her hand along his arm, leaving thin lines down his bicep with her claw-like nails. He continued to shift in his seat, silently dreading Annie's interview. Finnick did truly believe what he had told Annie earlier. The Capitol would love her sharp wit and sense of humor. He was terrified that they might also lust after her. Annie was a beautiful woman, and if she won, she would surely be a popular victor. He was scared for her, afraid that the Capitol would break and hurt her like they had done to him.

Caesar stepped onto the stage to a deafening round of applause. He gave his usual opening remarks, and then it was time for the tributes' interviews. Finnick barely heard the first six interviews. He squirmed, checked his watch, and tried to name the colors that the audience members in front of him were wearing, anything to distract him from the fact that Annie would soon come out onto the stage.

There she was. "Oh my," the woman next to him breathed. Finnick was both entranced and more worried than ever. Annie looked gorgeous in a long purple dress. Her hair was pulled up and the sleeves of the dress began on her upper arms, revealing her shoulders, neck, upper back, and cleavage to the audience. Someone in the audience whistled a catcall at her. Annie blushed, but walked confidently up to the stage.

"Annie Cresta from District Four, yes?" began Ceasar.

"Hello Ceasar. It's very nice to meet you." Annie extended her hand, which Caesar brought up to his lips to kiss.

"And you as well, my dear. So, tell me how you managed such a marvelous training score."

"You cut right to the chase don't you?" Annie's frankness earned a couple chuckles from the audience. "Well, I ummm, I showed them my knife throwing. They must have liked it, I suppose." Annie looked nervous. She was twisting the fabric of her dress with her fingers and bit down on her bottom lip whenever she paused.

They chatted back and forth for a while, Annie becoming visibly less nervous as they talked. Her answers became wittier, and the crowd clapped and laughed after almost every sentence she spoke.

Close to the end of her three minutes, Caesar leaned in. "Annie, is there a special boy at home watching you tonight?"

Annie blushed."Yes, there's a boy," she admitted after a short pause.

"Well, that can't be the end of the story. Surely you can give us more detail than that!"

"Ummm … okay. Well, he's kind and sweet and gentle. He's smarter than he'll admit to, and he's the best friend anyone could ever ask for. I'd like to say he's perfect, but I know that's not true. He's just perfect for me."

The woman next to Finnick sighed at that remark and wrapped her arms around Finnick. Even Caesar's mask slipped for just a second, as though he had been honestly moved by Annie's words. "Can you give us a name?" he asked.

"Oh Caesar, I don't play kiss and tell," she laughed. With that, her time was up. "Thank you so much for having me," Annie shook Caesar's hand, then got up and waved to the audience as she left. Finnick felt like jelly in his seat. Annie Cresta never failed to amaze him.

"Lucky girl," the woman next to him, Alicia he thought, said. Finnick jumped, worried that she knew Annie had been talking about him. "I wish I knew a man like that." Finnick breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She did not know.

"I'm sure you'll find someone," he purred in her ear. She blushed and giggled, a high pitched and annoying sound. They paid polite attention to the other interviews before it was time to go back to her apartment.

As they stepped into her car, she turned to him. "I'll drop you off at the Training Center, all right? I do love seeing you, but I know that you'll want to say goodbye to your tributes tonight." Finnick smiled and thanked her for her kindness. So few people in the Capitol even seemed to consider that the victors had feelings that this type of consideration from a client was very special.

He rushed up the stairs to the fourth floor, not wanting to wait for an elevator. When he reached their quarters, the rest of the group was just finishing their goodbyes. Mags and Camille retired, Camille fighting off tears at losing at least one of the tributes. Finnick and Seannan embraced. They had never been close, but Seannan was only a year younger than Finnick and they had gone to training together. It was hard for him to reconcile the redheaded boy he'd known during his time at training with the man that he was embracing now. "Good luck," Finnick wished Seannan, giving the other man a clap on the back. Seannan thanked him, then went to his room.

Saying goodbye to Annie was more difficult. They held each other for long moments, both crying, never wanting to let the other go. "It'll be okay," Annie whispered, stroking his hair. She leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "I love you, so much. I'll come back to you."

"I know you will," said Finnick. He stared into her green eyes, committing every detail of her face to memory.

"Come on," she said, grabbing his hand. She led him into her bedroom. Finnick just looked at her for a moment, unsure of her intentions. "Is this okay?" she asked. "It's just … if I, if I die in that arena, I don't want to be a virgin."

Finnick paused for a moment, considering what she had just asked. For him, sex was a nightmare. He hated the feel of other people's hands on him, seemingly taking little pieces of him away for their own pleasure. But … he hadn't hated it earlier when he and Annie had cuddled on the roof. Annie's embraces were pleasant, gentle and giving instead of harsh and demanding like his clients'. Maybe with Annie, sex could be more than it was with the people Snow sold him to. He looked into her eyes and nodded, putting his hands at her waist.

The leaned in for a long, passionate kiss, pressing their bodies against each other. Annie moaned as Finnick splayed his hand across her back. When they separated, Annie reached down to untuck his shirt from his pants. He bent forwards and lifted his arms so that she could remove his shirt. The feeling of Annie's hands against his bare chest was electrifying. He grasped the straps of her gown, waiting for her permission to continue. She laughed. "I don't think that's going to work." She lifted up an arm, revealing a long zipper. He grinned sheepishly, then unzipped the dress. Together, they removed the fabric.

Finnick gazed at her breasts. They were fairly small, not surgically altered to the 'perfect' size like the Capitol womens'. He thought they were the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. No, not the most beautiful. He looked up at Annie's face again. _That _was the perfect sight. Her pupils were wide with arousal, and she was already slightly flushed from his kisses. They embraced, falling onto the bed in between kisses. Finnick rolled so that Annie was beneath him.

"Tell me what you want" he said, kissing her neck between words.

"I want you inside of me," she replied before bringing his face down for another kiss. When they separated, Finnick quickly removed the rest of his clothes. Annie looked down his body appreciatively. She slowly pulled down her panties, removing the last barrier between them. She put a hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him onto his back. Annie kissed down his chest, teasing a nipple with her teeth before licking at his navel. She paused at his erection, unsure of what to do. She placed a soft kiss on the head before returning to his mouth.

Finnick cupped her breasts in his hands, his thumbs gently flicking over the nipples. He pushed her back so that he was on top of her, then began to suckle on her left breast. Annie moaned underneath him, fisting her hands in his bronze hair. Finnick moved his hands lower, making little swirls on her stomach with fingers before gently separating her legs.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, holding himself up on his forearms above her. Annie nodded. She had never been so sure of anything in her life. He reached between her legs, rubbing gently at her clitoris for a moment before slipping a finger into her womanhood. He looked at her eyes, watching carefully for any signs of pain. When he saw none, he began to move his finger in and out, eliciting little gasps of pleasure. Finnick slipped another finger inside, aware that she would need preparation to take him. The stretch between her legs felt incredible, Annie thought. She looked up at him, his brow creased in focus as he prepared her. She moved her hand down to stop his movements. Finnick immediately withdrew, afraid that he had hurt her.

"Finnick, it's okay. I'm ready." He studied her for a moment, then nodded and aligned himself at her entrance. He kissed her and began to push inside. She was so hot and extremely tight. Annie gasped in a mixture of pain and pleasure. He stilled for a moment, looking into her eyes to see what she wanted from him. Annie grabbed his hips, then pushed him the rest of the way inside. They set a slow rhythm at first, both wanting to drag out their pleasure as long as possible. Soon though, they lost control, slamming their hips together as the pressure built inside of them. Annie came first. She squeezed around him and half-shouted his name as she orgasmed. Finnick followed her a moment later, collapsing on top of her.

After a few moments, Annie pressed at his shoulder, wanting him to roll off of her. He flopped onto his back, and pulled her close. "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yes, better than all right," she answered. Finnick noticed the small bloodstain on the sheets and went to grab a towel. After she cleaned up, they embraced again, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

"I love you. You know that, right?" he said just as they began to drift to sleep.

"Well who wouldn't," Annie teased. She looked up at him and winked, settling more comfortably into the mattress. Her eyes drifted shut. "But for the record, I love you too." They fell asleep together, neither of them dreaming of what tomorrow held.


	5. Chapter 5

_Ten … Nine … Eight … Seven … Six … Five … Four … Three … Two … One …_ Almost before she heard the canon blast, Annie leaped off her pedestal and sprinted for the Cornucopia. She headed straight for the center of the horn where the best weapons were kept. Luckily, the only person to the weapons before her was Seannan, who gave her a tense smile as he picked up two spears. He immediately flung one at one of the male tributes, and the other boy dropped instantly. Annie gathered a set of throwing knives along with a long, curved sword. Now, all of the tributes had reached the Cornucopia. One girl raised a bow and arrow, pointing towards Annie, but she was obviously unskilled with the weapon, and Annie's knife lodged itself in her chest before she could shoot. Annie quickly surveyed the area. Already, three or four of the tributes had been eliminated. She spotted Seannan, who was fighting hand to hand with the boy from Nine. She ran over to where they stood, sneaking up behind the big tribute and stabbing him in the back with her sword. The man froze for an instant when the sword pierced his skin, but then he continued to fight. Annie stabbed him again and again, determined that he would not hurt Seannan. Eventually, the man dropped, bleeding from several wounds.

Annie looked back over the Cornucopia. The girl from One was still fighting the Seven girl, but that would be over soon. Otherwise, the fighting was over. Annie could see the remains of ten tributes, including the two she had killed. Now that her first rush of adrenaline was wearing off, she could feel tears stinging in her eyes. She was only a few minutes into the Games, and she had already become a monster. Annie had murdered children. It wouldn't matter to their families that they would have killed her or Seannan if she had not. They were still dead.

She forced herself to calm down so that she could survey the Arena. From her vantage point, she could see that the Cornucopia was situated on a high hill. The rest of the Arena seemed to be fairly hilly as well. She could not immediately spot any water, but there were still lots of supplies left at the Cornucopia, so that was not an immediate concern. When she and the other Careers went hunting tonight, they would probably find some fresh water.

Decius, the boy from Two, came towards her. Annie tightened her grip on her sword, but he made no move to attack. "Let's gather what we'll need," he said. While Seannan and Luster stood watch, she and the remaining Careers examined the rest of the supplies. Annie began making packs of the supplies they would need for that night: water, food, night vision goggles, and basic medical supplies. The Cornucopia this year seemed especially richly stocked. She hoped this did not mean that sponsor gifts would be even more expensive.

"What do we want to do now?" asked Mila, Decius's district partner. Of the entire Career pack, this was the person Annie trusted least. She and Mila had trained at the edible plant station a few days before, and the girl had shown far too much interest in the poisonous plants. Annie decided never to eat anything the other woman offered her.

"I think we should rest this afternoon, gather our strength while the other tributes run," suggested Annie.

Seannan nodded in agreement, and it was the District One male that spoke next. "That way, when we go out hunting tonight, we will still be fresh while the other tributes are tired. Tired tributes make mistakes, and we don't want to be the ones to die." They came to an agreement that they would rest until dusk. Two tributes, each from separate districts, would stay up while the rest slept, switching off every two hours. For some reason, a small watch had been left in the pile of supplies, so they used that to keep track of time.

Annie had the last shift, so she tried to make herself comfortable for a long nap. There were several thick sleeping bags at the Cornucopia, so she piled two on top of each other to make a soft mattress for herself. She felt terrible sleeping so close to the bodies of dead children, but she had no idea when the next opportunity to sleep would come. She closed her eyes and was immediately assaulted by the images of the children she had murdered. Annie waited for them to fade, but they did not. For the next three hours, she dreamt of the hollow eyes of the girl she had killed with her throwing knives. In her dreams, the stab wounds on the Nine boy's back spurted blood, filling up the Arena until Annie was drowning in it. He reached out to grab her, pulling her under to join him in death…

She woke to Seannan poking her. "Time for your watch," he said, and as soon as she slipped out of her sleeping bag, he climbed in.

"Comfortable?" she teased.

He nodded, his eyelids already drooping. "Very." Annie wondered if he felt the same guilt over killing that she did. She pushed that thought from her mind so that she could keep an effective watch. Amethyst shared this shift with her.

"Are you and Odair friends?" the blond man asked.

Annie was surprised by his question, but answered truthfully. "Yes," she said. "We were in Training together. We've known each other since we were children."

"I just saw how sad he looked when you volunteered and wondered. Sorry if that was too personal," said Amethyst. Annie wished he would be quiet. If he was nice, it would be so much harder to kill him at the end.

She decided to be friendly for the sake of the audience. "How long have you and Luster known each other?" she asked politely. She noticed a hint of a blush on Amethyst's neck. He fancied his district partner. Annie swallowed. That was terrible. She could not imagine going into the Arena with Finnick. Having Seannan, who she was also close to, was hard enough. Lost in her thoughts, Annie missed the man's reply. She covered her lapse in concentration by asking another question, and the two talked about their lives back home until the sun began to set. They woke the other tributes. It was time to hunt.

Seannan pointed out a flaw in their plan. "How will we keep the supplies safe?" he asked. They quickly changed plans, having the three men go and kill while the female tributes kept watch. That way, the supplies would be guarded, and no district would outnumber the others. The next night, they would switch.

Annie hugged Seannan before he left. She, Luster, and Mila sat at the base of the Cornucopia, trying to act as though everything were normal. They cooked a small dinner for themselves with the food that would rot quickly, and afterwards they talked strategy, their conversation interrupted every once in a while by the sound of a cannon. The hovercraft came shortly after nightfall to collect the bodies from the earlier bloodbath. When the anthem came on, all three of them looked up to the sky. All six of the Careers were still alive, Annie was glad to see. Otherwise, it had been a very bloody first day. Fourteen tributes were already dead. Besides the Careers, only the Seven boy, both from Eight, and the Ten girl were still living. Annie hoped that this would be a very short Games. Only one day in, she did not know how much more she could take.

* * *

A/N: I decided to give a little more detailed view of Annie's Games than I had originally intended and split it into a few shorter chapters instead of one absolutely behemoth chapter. I hope you liked it! Even if you didn't, thank you so much for reading. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated. I like to know what I'm doing right, but what I could improve on is even more helpful. Thanks again!

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	6. Chapter 6

Late that night, Annie awoke to the sounds of Luster screaming for her. She put on her night vision goggles as she ran over to where the One girl stood. The hill on which the Cornucopia stood was quickly becoming an island as water filled the area. Luster pointed, and Annie could see Mila struggling to stay afloat in the rushing water. "She thought she saw something at the bottom of the hill, so she went down there to check it out," said Luster visibly shaken. "Then there was suddenly all this water. What should we do?" she looked to Annie with tears in her eyes.

Annie swallowed, trying to keep her expression neutral. "Let her save herself. If she can't, we're down to nine tributes." Luster nodded. Neither of them could tear their eyes away as Mila slipped underneath the waves. A few minutes later, a cannon sounded. For the rest of the night, Annie and Luster sat together, not talking, both caught up in their own thoughts.

When morning came, the three boys returned. Their expedition last night had been fairly successful, as they had found and killed three tributes. Decius accepted the news of Mila's death emotionlessly, but afterward Annie noticed him calculatingly observing the four other Careers. The District Two man was smart; he had to know that without someone to watch his back in the Career pack, he was likely to become the next target.

From a tactical standpoint, these Games were going extremely well for Annie. Seannan reported that the rest of the Arena was also hilly, and the small flood that had killed Mila had occurred everywhere. Now, the Arena was a maze of islands, the perfect environment for District Four's tributes, but a nightmare for many of the others. Annie had noticed that Seannan help Amethyst across the channel to the Cornucopia. The District One tributes could not swim. From the look of Dacius's slow, jerking strokes, he was not comfortable or confident in the water either. In contrast, she and Seannan had practically been raised in the sea. The other Careers would need to rely on them to hunt down the other tributes. This was a definite advantage for her.

She needed to talk privately with Seannan, but she doubted that the other remaining Careers would allow that to happen. Instead, she settled on shooting him some meaningful looks over lunch. After their meal, Seannan offered to take the first watch so the rest of them could sleep. Amethyst stayed up with him. About an hour after Annie laid down, Seannan walked over, clamping his hand over her mouth before waking her. Annie tried to scream, but her voice was muffled by her district partner's hand. Seannan nodded over to where Luster and Amethyst waited. Being sure not to wake Decius, Annie moved to join them.

"We should get rid of him," said Luster. Annie was surprised by her change in attitude from the night before. Luster had wanted to rescue Mila, and now she was planning to murder Decius in his sleep. It sounded terrible, but Annie could see the practicality of her plan. There would only be eight tributes left, half of them Careers. She, Seannan, and the District One tributes could find and kill the others over the next few days before it came down to the four of them. Hopefully, Annie could come out on top and see her family again. If not, then maybe Seannan would. She found herself nodding in agreement. Seannan looked uncomfortable with Luster's proposal, but he agreed as well.

Amethyst picked up a heavy sword from their pile of weapons and walked over to Decius's sleeping form. He plunged the weapon deep into Decius's chest. The blade pierced his heart, and Decius was dead before he even had a chance to scream. The cannon boomed. Together, Amethyst and Seannan carried the dead tribute's body to the water, letting the tide carry the fallen tribute away. Seannan came to sit by her, and they watched together as a hovercraft came to collect the corpse. Noticing that her friend was shaking, Annie took his hand. "It's okay, Seannan," she said. "He had to die so that one of us can go home."

Seannan nodded, but she see tears in his eyes. "I'm not sure I want to go home," he said, his voice breaking halfway through the sentence.

Annie tightened her grip on his hand. "Of course you do."

"No, I don't. I'm sick now, Annie. I didn't even feel bad as I watched Amethyst kill Decius. I didn't care. I don't want my mother or my sisters to see me like this." The usually quiet, reserved man broke down in tears. Annie wrapped her arms around him, resting his head on her shoulder. She knew there was nothing she could say to make Seannan feel better, so she rubbed his back and made comforting sounds until his sobs quieted.

Dusk came all too soon. The four of them decided to leave the Cornucopia unguarded. It was unlikely that any of the other tributes knew how to swim, so their supplies should be safe. Annie and Seannan helped the District One tributes swim to the next island over. They would comb the islands for any sign of the other tributes before moving to the next. Annie was glad that there were still four living Careers. She remembered as a little girl watching a big man from Seven tear through three Careers with an ax. Although she knew that was an anomaly and that Seven was normally not even a real contender in the Games, the image had stuck with her, and she was terrified of ending up alone near the Seven boy.

Amethyst tried to lighten the mood by making small talk. "What do your families do in Four?" he asked.

Seannan didn't answer, but Annie felt obligated to keep up the conversation. "My father is a fisherman," she answered, "and my mother makes rope. My two brothers and sister help on the boat. What about your families?"

"My mother's a silversmith, and Dad does some glassblowing."

Luster joined their conversation. "My dad makes music boxes," she said. "They're the most beautiful things." Luster played with her blond ponytail as she daydreamed of home.

"What does your mother do?" Annie asked.

At this, the other girl looked sad. "My mother's been dead for several years." Luster's answer sounded bitter. Annie felt terrible for bringing up such a sensitive topic and apologized. "Don't worry about it. You couldn't have known." With that, Luster went to help Seannan search a field for any sign of the other tributes. Annie swallowed around a lump in her throat. She couldn't kill Luster or Amethyst. They both seemed like honestly nice, kind people. Maybe she wouldn't have to hurt them. Maybe the other tributes would get to them first.

Their search of the island yielded nothing, so they moved on to the next one. Here, they found remains of a fire, but no tributes. They must be close, though, since the ashes looked fresh. When they moved on to the third island, they found the Three girl huddled under a rock. She awoke just as Annie stepped towards her. The girl, a small, frail-looking thing who couldn't have been more than fourteen, launched herself at Annie, managing to make a long cut along Annie's ribs before Amethyst wrestled her off. Annie stabbed the girl with the sword a dozen times, only stopping when the cannon went off.

She then heard another, more threatening sound, and turned towards the water. The water level had risen again, and several of the smaller islands were now completely underwater. Annie grabbed the watch out of her pack. Two a.m., probably almost the same time as the first flood. She considered telling the other Careers, but decided that she wanted to keep this knowledge a secret for now.

Annie stripped off her shirt to examine her wound. The cut was not deep, but it extended for about five inches along the left side of her chest. She hunted through the packs until she found some antibiotic ointment and some bandages. Annie was left-handed, so she had a difficult time cleaning the wound herself. Noticing her difficulty, Luster came over and helped. "Don't worry," said the One girl, "I've done this before." She took out a needle and sanitized it by putting it in the flame of a match. Luster then sewed Annie's cut shut. Having the needle pass through her skin again and again hurt, but at least she was no longer bleeding. Together, they wrapped that side of Annie's chest in bandages, and then Annie got dressed again so they could move on.

They found nothing on the next four islands. As soon as she stepped onto the fifth, Annie was hit with a terrible feeling. Before she could say anything, the Seven boy was sprinting towards them, ax in hand. The Careers turned to run, but before they could escape, the boy landed a blow on Seannan. Annie felt frozen as her friend's head separated from his body. She watched as his knees bent and his body collapsed. She saw his head hit the ground, the eyes still open in a shocked expression.

Her world shattered. An inhuman scream left her mouth, and Annie ran as fast as she could for the water, her only thought that she needed to get away. She dived in, accidentally breathing in some water as she swam. Annie choked and sputtered, but she kept swimming. She swam and swam until she reached land. She pulled herself up onto the grassy field and lay there with her legs pressed against her chest and her hands over her ears. Annie squeezed her eyes shut, but all she could see was Seannan's expression as his head sailed away from his body.

* * *

A/N: I intended for this story to be completely canon compliant, but I've read so many versions of Annie's Games where the dam breaks, and they have all been so well done that I didn't think I could add anything. So, I decided to change the method and timing of the flood. I hope you liked it!

As far as bookkeeping goes, I intend on this story having about seven more chapters. The next two will cover the end of the Games, the following three will be about her recovery, and then I plan on writing two epilogues. I really hope you have enjoyed the story so far. Thank you so much for reading! I love feedback, so if you could leave a review, it would be fantastic! See you soon,

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	7. Chapter 7

Finnick sat in his seat in the Mentors' Lounge, waiting for the Games to begin. Mags looked over at him, and noticing his concern, she wrapped his hand in both of her own. He squeezed Mags's hand more tightly than he probably should have as the countdown began. Finnick focused intently on the screen, mentally drowning out the sounds coming from the other mentors' booths.

As soon as the cannon went off, Annie sprinted to the Cornucopia. Only Seannan beat her to the center of the supplies. Both of the Four tributes gathered weapons and prepared themselves for the onslaught of other tributes. Seannan made the first kill of the Games when he speared the boy from Five, but Finnick hardly noticed as he watched the small dark-haired girl from Eleven aim her arrow at Annie. He swallowed nervously. Annie was a Career, he thought, she should not be allowed to die so soon. Four's tributes nearly always made it through the bloodbath. Annie's throwing knife lodged itself into the girl's chest before she even released her arrow, and Finnick let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding.

This respite did not last. Annie, the brave friend that she had always been, decided to sneak up on the giant from Nine who currently had Seannan tackled. She stabbed him a dozen times with her long, curved sword before the man finally stopped moving. Finnick dragged his attention away from Annie to examine the competition. Several dead bodies lay strewn around the Cornucopia. A couple tributes from the outer districts were still fighting the Careers, but those scuffles would soon be over. The rest of the tributes had fled.

He looked up at the clock. Only half an hour had passed since the beginning of the Games, but already nearly half the tributes had been eliminated. Finnick predicted that this would be a particularly short Games. He kissed Mags on the cheek before he stood. "I have a couple appointments to go to, but I should be back by eleven," he told her. "Watch over Annie for me, okay?"

"She'll be fine, Finnick. Don't worry so much," the old woman shooed him away.

After he and his first client for the afternoon were done, he tried to convince her to sponsor Annie. The woman refused. She informed him that she was planning on sponsoring Seannan instead. "He's such a pretty boy, just like you. Don't you think the three of us could have fun together once he comes back?" the woman said, running her long, green fingernails down his chest. Finnick was too angry to respond. He left as quickly as he could without offending her.

His next client was more cooperative. A desperate older woman with more money than sense, she had agreed to donate the equivalent of one meal to Annie's fund. Finnick had kissed her in return. They separated only when the sound of cannon fire echoed from her television, but despite Finnick's worries, it was only the girl from Nine, not Annie.

When he finally returned to the Mentors' Lounge, he found Mags in the same position as when he had left. "How are they doing?"

"They're well. Neither of them has any injuries, and the pack has enough food and water for the next couple days." Mags paused as another cannon went off. "There are fourteen dead, but all the Careers are still fine."

"Have you sent them any sponsor gifts yet?"

She shook her head. "No, they haven't needed anything. Go sleep, boy. You can trade with me in a few hours."

Finnick tried to protest, but Mags would not give in. He dozed in his chair for just under three hours before he woke up again. Wordlessly, he and Mags traded positions. Mila, the girl from Two, had died while he was asleep. Only nine tributes were left. He examined the Arena, trying to find any obstacles that might pose a threat to Annie, but there did not seem to be any. Unless the Gamemakers had mutts or an enormous environment change in store for the finale, the Arena itself should not hurt her. The other tributes were a different matter entirely. Now that one member of the Careers was gone, it would not take long for the members of the pack to turn on each other. Hopefully, Annie could stay avoid the fighting. He was proven right the next day when Amethyst murdered Decius in his sleep.

For the next day or so, the Games went much as they always did. Finnick tried to watch as much as he could, but was often called away from the Mentor's Lounge to meet with clients. Annie and the remaining Careers traveled from island to island, searching for the remaining tributes, but only found the girl from Three.

Finnick could see something change in Annie's face the instant they stepped foot on the island the boy from Seven was hiding on. She wanted to run away, but something stopped her. Suddenly, the Seven boy ran straight at the pack of Careers with his axe held high. What was he thinking? If he had avoided the pack, he might have been able to win, but now he was throwing that chance away.

He saw Seannan's head separate from his body as if in slow motion. Next to him, Mags gasped, but Finnick did not make a sound as his friend's head bounced on the ground. Finnick could only watch in horror as Seannan's body finally collapsed and his blood stained the grass around him. He heard a loud scream and turned to comfort Mags, only to find that his mentor was not the source of the sound.

Annie was running, sprinting away from Seannan's body and the other Careers. She threw herself into the water, trying to escape both the other tributes and her friend's death. Finnick paused the broadcast to examine her face. Annie's eyes were wide with terror and her lips were shredded where she had bitten them. He choked on a sob, finally accepting what he had always known. Even if Annie escaped the Arena alive, she would never be the girl he'd known again.

* * *

A/N: Well, that wasn't the cheeriest chapter I've ever written. Thanks for reading! Extra thanks to bsmj, The Honey Crisp, Nola, and Odestalovebaby for reviewing. You guys are awesome, and your reviews are always fantastic to see! I'll try to have the next chapter up next weekend, but since it's Independence Day here in America this Friday, it might take until the next week to update. Anyways, see you then!

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning: This chapter is violent and very dark.**

* * *

Annie opened her mouth in a silent scream as she clawed through her hair. Long, barely-healed cuts zigzagged their way up her arms, and Annie froze for a moment to admire the beautiful contrast of the scarlet patterns on her porcelain skin. When she bit her lips in concentration, she could taste blood on her lips. Seannan's blood. How could she be so selfish? Seannan would need his blood if he wanted to come home.

_No, you're mad, _a small, sane part of her whispered cruelly. _Seannan's never going to come home. He's dead. You let him die. _

Annie let out a choked sob. "No, no! Please be quiet."

The voice did not stop. _You can lie to yourself, Annie, but you know it's true. Seannan's never coming back. We both watched him die. I think you even enjoyed it._

"No I didn't! I didn't want that!"

_You're mad, Annie Cresta._

She scratched at her ears and temples, desperate to get the other woman out, but the voice never left her, always burrowing a little deeper inside of Annie just as she reached it. The woman continued to whisper to her, repeating the same things over and over so insistently that Annie began to doubt the truth.

Maybe Seannan had died. Maybe she had enjoyed watching Seannan's death. She had volunteered, after all. She must like the thrill of killing, the joy of watching the life dribble out of another and knowning that she had ended them. Her tongue poked out to caress her lips. Yes, she loved the scent, the taste of blood. Surely she could find some more?

Annie gathered her pack and supplies, surprised to find a dozen silver parachutes littering the ground around her. "Thank you, Finnick," she laughed. She stuffed the bandages, food, and water she found inside the canisters into her pack. Her mentor must have sent her these packages while she was talking to her new friend. Finnick obviously approved of her new ally. She trudged into the water with her knife in hand, intent on finding the other tributes.

_You're mad, _whispered the woman again. Annie smiled. That thought no longer bothered her.

* * *

"How is she?" Finnick asked as he ran into the room. He was surprised by the silence from his former mentor. "Mags, what's wrong? Is Annie okay?" The old woman turned and gestured him towards the monitor. He smiled at the image of Annie gathering the supplies he had sent her over the last three days. "Mags, this is fantastic! She's better, I know she is."

"I worry about that girl," Mags said.

Finnick turned back to the woman to see tears in her eyes. "Why? She's up again, she's interested in the food we've sent her, and she's going to hunt down the other tributes. I think we might have ourselves another victor." Finnick smiled, but Mags shook her head slowly.

"You didn't hear her earlier." Mags bit down on her lower lip to stop herself from crying, but a few tears still leaked out of her eyes. "She kept screaming and laughing, talking to nobody. After three days of silence, she was suddenly alive again. It was horrible, Finnick. She was absolutely manic. Then she got up, dusted herself off, and it was as though nothing had ever happened. I don't know what's happened to her, Finnick, but I don't think Annie is really better."

"Mags, it'll be fine. Everyone talks to themselves in the Arena. Yes she was quiet for a few days, but she always kept drinking, so she's at least hydrated. She had a lot to think about, but now she's done and she's ready to win this thing."

"I hope you're right boy, I really do." Mags still looked unconvinced.

Finnick gave her his most charming smile. "I don't need to hope, I know I'm right. I'm going to go find some more sponsors. Keep an eye on Annie?" He kissed her on the forehead before practically bouncing back out of the room. Despite Mags's worries, he knew everything would be all right.

* * *

Annie allowed herself a small smile as she walked towards the heart of the island. She could feel, no she could smell, the other tribute. This was the one she'd been looking for. The boy from Seven had to die for what he'd done to Seannan. Annie gleefully cut through the tall grasses with her sword, anxious for any sign of the boy. He had done well to hide from her for this long. Annie had searched for two days for him, but now she could sense that he was close.

She heard the snap of a tree branch behind her and span to see Amethyst staring at her. Before he could raise his weapon, Annie's knife had buried itself in his chest. She watched his eyes widen as he stumbled. Annie sat down on a patch of soft green clover and waited for Amethyst to stop convulsing. Once the man had gone still and his eyes vacant, she dug the knife out of his chest and licked a long stripe along the blade. Wonderful.

_You're mad, Annie Cresta, _the woman whispered again. The cannon blasted, but Annie did not walk away from the corpse. He wasn't the Seven boy, but Amethyst had certainly been a lovely surprise.

"Amethyst, are you all right? Did you find her?" Annie knew that the voice had to come from Luster, but she couldn't determine which direction it was coming from.

She glanced back down at Amethyst's body and immediately wanted to vomit. She'd done that. She had killed the boy who'd been nothing but kind to her and to Seannan. Annie dropped her knife and moved backwards several steps. _You're a monster, _the voice whispered gleefully.

"I didn't want to be. I just want it to stop!" she screamed. "Please, please make it stop!"

Maybe the Gamemakers heard her, because the next thing she felt was a crushing pressure against her back. Annie allowed herself to be claimed by the wave, to feel its power forcing her under. For long moments, she considered staying under to kill the voice. Her own death seemed a small price.

But Annie had been born and raised in Four, and the first lesson that was drilled into every child was to keep swimming. She broke the surface and took several deep breaths as she surveyed the Arena. For as far as she could see, there was only open water. The islands had been entirely eaten up by the sea.

She spotted a flash of orange and went to investigate. Luster was floating with the aid of an orange vest, her back to Annie. The voice spoke again. _Just two more, just her and the boy from Seven, and we can go home. It won't be hard, will it Annie? We've done this before._

"No, I don't want to." Luster turned towards her. Annie felt her heart stop as the other woman reached for a throwing knife. She dove back underneath the water just before the blade hit her. Annie swam towards the other woman's legs and pulled Luster down underneath the waves. The two women met each other's eyes as Annie held Luster's wrists still. Unable to cut or stab Annie, Luster was helpless. Her eyes narrowed at Annie before her body went limp. She only released the other woman when she heard the sound of cannonfire.

Annie gulped in air as she came back up. Only one more to –

"I would like to introduce, ladies and gentlemen, the victor of the seventieth annual Hunger Games, Annie Cresta!" a voice boomed.

Annie looked up to see a huge black hovercraft looming above her with its claw extended. She screamed and thrashed as the iron grip locked itself around her, pulling her up into the hovercraft's gaping mouth to be devoured. _You're mad, Annie Cresta, _the voice whispered again. Annie watched in horror as the men came towards her, needles in hand, to put her down like the animal she was.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Extra thanks to everyone who reviewed - I really appreciate it! Please, leave a review and tell me what you think. See you soon!

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	9. Chapter 9

He reached out hesitantly to stroke her soft, dark hair. "You did it, Annie, you came back," he murmured.

She did not stir, still unconscious due to the strong drugs the Capitol's medics had injected her with when she had lunged at them immediately after her Games. Finnick had not been on the hovercraft to collect her from the Arena, but he had seen the last hours of Annie's Games, so he did not doubt the doctors' stories of Annie attacking them when they first brought her aboard. The medics had told him that she had launched herself at them, screaming, clawing, and biting.

That had been fourteen hours ago. Since then, Finnick had remained at her bedside, both dreading and eagerly awaiting the time she would emerge from her drug-fueled unconsciousness. Every half hour, a nurse would come in to check that Annie's feeding tube was still in place and her vitals were steady, but they never spoke. For fourteen hours, Finnick had heard nothing but Annie's soft, steady breathing and his own voice.

The patterns on the monitors began to change as Annie's heart rate and breathing sped up. Finnick briefly considered calling the medics, but decided he wanted to speak to her alone with no interference from the doctors. They saw Annie only as a difficult, potentially insane patient, and Finnick needed to talk to the girl he had known before the Games.

* * *

She blinked and lifted her hand to her face, hoping that once she cleared the sleep from her eyes, this situation would make more sense. The sterile, white chamber she now occupied looked like no room she had ever seen in Four. The smell was chemical rather than salty like the ocean, and the mattress she lied on was softer than her one at home.

Annie finally noticed the other occupant of the room. "Finnick!" she shouted, struggling to sit upright. She opened her arms, and he rushed to embrace her. Annie clung to him tightly, glad for this reminder of home.

Suddenly, heat rushed to her chest. Finnick's warm, comforting arms around her became confining, and the walls seemed to expand, shrinking the room. He wouldn't do this to her, hold her still so she could not fight back when the Seven boy came to cut off her head. This wasn't Finnick, who would never let the mutts that called themselves doctors use their needles on her.

_You're mad, Annie Cresta._ The other woman's voice was enough to push her into action. She scratched along the man's back, hoping it would be enough to force him away. Not-Finnick let go of her and stepped away, but his body was still between her and the exit.

"Are you all right?" he asked with false concern. This mutt was a truly brilliant design. The Capitol scientists had perfectly replicated Finnick's bronze hair and green eyes. Even the little dimples that formed when he smiled were perfect. They hadn't managed to capture his mouth. This mutt's lips contorted as he looked at her, stretching too far across his face to show a set of long, sharp fangs. "Annie, are you okay?"

She screamed, swiping at not-Finnick's hideous mouth with her fingernails, raking across his face over and over. He did not stop her, instead standing perfectly still and allowing her to claw at his face a dozen times before someone yanked her away. Annie struggled against the doctor mutts as they wrestled her to the floor and stuck their needles into her.

From her position on the floor, she could see that not-Finnick still had not moved. She spotted several long, thin trails of red along his cheeks and lips, but it was his eyes that captivated her. In them, she found all the love and caring that Finnick held for her.

_You're mad, Annie Cresta_, her friend whispered again. Annie choked back a sob as realization dawned on her.

"Finnick, I'm sorry, so sorry …" her voice trailed off as she fell into the warm, welcoming unconsciousness again.

* * *

Finnick stood still as the doctors finished sedating Annie and lifted her back into bed, her words echoing in his mind.

"Mister Odair, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," said one of the doctors, an older man with blue skin and navy tattoos. "Your presence seems to upset the patient. Though we are still trying to evaluate the extent of her emotional trauma, I believe that something about you incited her latest frenzy, and she might be more accepting of our help if you are absent." He paused for a moment, obviously waiting for some sign of agreement from Finnick. When he received none, he continued, "we simply can't risk our team's wellbeing so that you can be near your mentee. You need to leave now." As he spoke, a nurse carefully transcribed his every word into an expensive-looking black notebook.

He nodded silently and allowed an assistant to show him to the door. Mags was sitting in the waiting room. "What happened to your face?" she asked as soon as he stepped into the room.

Finnick brought his hand up to his left cheek. He had entertained far too many violent clients to not immediately recognize the warm stickiness that he encountered. He stared at his palm for a long moment, trying to understand why Annie would do this to him.

Mags tugged on his sleeve, guiding him into the restroom. She ordered him to sit while she wet a towel and began to wipe away the blood. "Tell me what happened," she said gently.

"She woke up," he replied.

She stopped her ministrations to pat his uninjured cheek. "Boy, we both knew that no one comes out of the Arena the same person they went in."

He paused for a few seconds before he nodded.

"It might not seem like it now, but things will be all right," said Mags.

Finally, Finnick could not contain his emotions any longer. He cried for the first time since the death of his parents. Mags dropped her towel and gathered him up in her arms, comforting him until he ran out of tears.

Mags led him back to District Four's quarters in the training center, where Camille and Suki badgered them with questions about Annie's recovery. Normally, Finnick would have been upset that Annie's mental state was the talk of the Capitol, but after his encounter with her at the hospital, he couldn't bring himself to care. He answered their questions with terse, one-word answers before excusing himself. He felt somewhat guilty for leaving Mags to answer their uncomfortable questions alone as he readied himself for bed but did not go to help her.

Sleep evaded him that night. He lied for hours, lost in his thoughts of Annie. In some ways, the Capitol had destroyed her as much as his mother and father. At least Sarah and Connall Odair had been allowed to die, to escape the nightmare of life under Snow. Annie had been afforded no such luxury and was still suffering. He shifted, finally accepting the truth. Annie Cresta might have survived the Arena, but she was no longer the girl he had fallen in love with.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Sorry for the long wait. I've been pretty busy the last few weeks, but I think that now that things have calmed down a bit, I should be able to update more frequently. I am very grateful to meksters, marblesharp, bsmj, Nola, The Honey Crisp, and Odestalovebaby for reviewing. It's fantastic to know what readers are thinking of my story, and I would love it if you would take a minute to leave a review. Thanks again!

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	10. Chapter 10

"Your recovery has been slow, Miss Cresta, but I do believe you're making progress."

She hated the doctors, with their needles and patronizing tones. They could not understand what she had been through. These Capitol pawns, who had lived a life of luxury since birth, could never begin to comprehend the toll the Games had taken on her. That they pretended to empathize only made her hate them more.

_It's all you deserve, Annie Cresta. _

"No, no it's not! I didn't want any of this!" she protested, screaming and scratching at her temples and ears, trying to get this woman out. Annie watched as Doctor Antonius's brows knitted together in concern and he nodded at the nurse to bring him his syringe. She knew she should stop, but the woman refused.

_You asked for this, Annie Cresta. You volunteered for it._

She began to weep as the nurse came back into the room. "Please, please stop," she moaned, hoping that her friend would see reason and leave her alone.

_They're going to put you down like a mutt. That's all you are, after all, an animal. _

"It hurts, please stop!" Even as the needle pierced her skin and the drugs began to kick in, she could still hear the woman's voice dancing through her mind.

_ You don't like the pain? Do you think the fish enjoys being speared? Did Amethyst cry out in joy as you stabbed him? You deserve this, Annie Cresta. You're mad. _

* * *

Finnick stared into his cup of coffee, watching as his four sugar cubes dissolve in the hot liquid. Finally, he decided that he could no longer avoid talking to Mags. He looked up to see her nursing her own cup as she watched him.

"How is she?" he asked.

Mags shook her head.

That was all the answer he needed. "Did you see her this morning?"

She nodded. "Sleeping, though," Mags said, her speech garbled only slightly.

Finnick rubbed his hands over his eyes. The last six weeks had been hard on him, but he could not imagine how difficult they must have been for Annie. Since the day when she had scratched him, the doctors had not allowed him back to see her. They thought that something about him had triggered that attack, and if Annie was to get better, he needed to stay away. Doctor Antonius had never said it, but the doctors believed that Finnick had ruined her.

The doctor was right. His guilt weighed heavily on him. Finnick had ruined Annie the same way the Capitol had ruined him. Perhaps it was for the best that the medics would not allow him to see her. He did not know how to fix himself; he could only make Annie worse.

A tear slipped down his face as he added another sugar cube to his coffee. This one wouldn't dissolve in the now-cold cup. He looked into his cup, disappointed, before a hand guided his face upwards.

Mags had silently walked over to his spot, and now forced him to look into her eyes. "Go," she said.

"I can't, the doctors told me to stay away."

The woman tilted her head slightly, and stared at him, unimpressed with his answer.

"Mags, I'll only hurt her even more. Right now, I need to wait for Doctor Antonius's approval. Once I get that, I'll go in and see her, I promise." A long pause filled the District Four quarters that they had continued to occupy since Annie's Games. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, hoping that Mags would allow the matter to drop.

She didn't. He could no longer hold back his emotions, no longer wear the cool, collected mask he had plastered over his face after Annie had been pulled from the Arena. Finnick choked back a sob. "Mags, I loved the Annie that went into the Arena. The one that came out thinks I'm a monster. I can't go to her."

"Go," she said sternly.

"I can't."

"Go." Mags sat back down and poured another cup of coffee for herself.

Finnick smiled at her from across the table. "You know, I've always been amazed at your ability to win arguments using only one word."

"Not arguing. _Ordering_." Mags took another sip of coffee.

Finnick checked the time. "I have an appointment in half an hour, but after that I'll go see her."

"Good."

He finished his coffee, kissed Mags on the cheek, and left without another word.

Finnick had never wished an appointment would last longer before. His client was fairly pleasant and so starstruck just by his presence that he barely had to put any thought into maintaining his Capitol facade. One hour and one very pleased customer later, he was walking to the hospital.

He sat in the waiting room, nervously flipping through magazines. He considered getting up again to get another drink from the water fountain, but the receptionist was already unhappy with him, and he didn't want to hurt his chances of seeing Annie. It had taken forty five minutes of convincing for Doctor Aurelius to agree that he could visit. An angry receptionist could not improve his situation.

Finally, a nurse emerged from the back rooms. "You may see her now," she said. "Please, follow me, Mr. Odair."

She led him into Annie's room. He could see Annie lying on the bed, propped up by half a dozen pillows.

"She's had a small dose of morphling to keep her calm during your visit, but she should be able to stay awake for as long as you're here," whispered the nurse. "I'll be waiting in the next room. Don't hesitate to call for me if you need anything."

Finnick thanked her, and she left them alone. He sat down in the chair next to Annie's bed. He looked into her green eyes, which were perfectly alert and focused on him.

"Why are you here?" she asked accusingly.

Finnick struggled for an answer. He settled on the most basic response he could find. "I wanted to see you."

Annie narrowed her eyes. "You haven't wanted to see me in six weeks. What changed?"

"Do you remember the last time I visited?" She shook her head. "You lunged at me, and scratched my face until I bled. The doctors had to drag you off me."

Annie visibly shook as she spoke. "Why did I do that?"

"I'm not sure," he looked down at his hands, wishing he could end this visit now. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened."

Annie didn't seem to hear his words. He told himself that it was just the morphling taking effect, but he knew that wasn't true.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello again! Thanks for reading – I hope you're enjoying the fic! Thank you so much to marblesharp, Nola, and X The Mad Girl Back Home X for reviewing! I really appreciate the feedback you give me J. I hope to have the next chapter up sometime in the next week. Thanks again – I'm so happy that people are still interested in this story. See you soon,

~finnicko-loves-anniec


	11. Chapter 11

Finnick sat as patiently as he could manage, waiting for Dr. Antonius to finish talking before asking his question. He wasn't a doctor, and didn't care about or understand the medical jargon the man used. "What does that mean for us?" he asked the instant the doctor paused.

"If you'd let me finish, Mr. Odair, I would have told you that it means that Miss Cresta is improving and ready to return to District Four," Antonius sniffed.

He couldn't help the grin that immediately spread across his face. He looked over to the two women also seated in Dr. Antonius's cramped office. Annie had pressed herself against Mags's side, and Mags had wrapped her arm around the younger woman. Mags was absolutely beaming at the good news. She squeezed Annie a bit tighter, and the other woman straightened in her chair.

Annie smiled nervously. "You think I'm better?" she asked.

"No, though I do think you've made definite progress," the doctor answered. "I'm fairly certain you're no longer a threat to yourself or others. Would you agree?"

Finnick noticed that it took Annie a moment to nod, but he was not worried. Every Victor was a threat. These people had murdered children – how could they not be?

Dr. Antonius cleared his throat, forcing Finnick's attention back to the conversation. The man was now directing his words towards Annie. "Many Victors report flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, and personality changes. Given what happened to you in the Arena, I believe you'll experience some or all of these as well. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to call me if you're having these problems, Annie. It's a perfectly normal human response to a traumatic event, and I'm always here to help."

He still didn't like Annie's doctor, but the man's gentle, direct explanation to Annie made Finnick wonder if he'd perhaps been too harsh in his original estimation of Antonius. He thanked the doctor, who quickly finished the paperwork that would allow Annie to finally leave the hospital.

Finnick offered an arm to both Annie and Mags, and together the three of them walked outside. When Annie shielded her eyes from the sun, Finnick could not help but be reminded of the girl he'd fallen in love with. He laughed and hugged her close, happy that she leaned further into his embrace.

_Oh no_. They were still in the Capitol, where every street was monitored by dozens of surveillance cameras. Snow had made it exceedingly clear that Finnick was to remain single for his legions of Capitol followers. Even though Annie was now a Victor, any visible sign of affection between the two of them still put her at risk. To the Capitolites, she was little more than a mad girl; her disappearance or death would mean nothing to them.

Finnick pulled away from Annie, his heart breaking when he saw the disappointment in her eyes. He would explain later.

"We'll have to make a plan for your crowning," Mags said.

Finnick cursed under his breath.

"Language," Mags scolded, and she poked him in the ribs.

The look on Annie's face was identical to the expression he had seen on dozens of tribute's faces in the moment they realized they were going to lose. Finnick wanted so badly to cocoon her in his arms and comfort her, to tell her that he would never let anyone hurt her, but he knew he could not. He searched for a solution, but could think of nothing. Every year, Snow crowned a new Victor. This year would be no different.

"I … I can do it," Annie stuttered. She took a deep breath before repeating herself. "I can do it. I'll be fine." This time, her voice was steady, and she managed a weak smile.

Finnick looked into her eyes and nodded. "Of course she'll be fine!" he said in the most enthusiastic voice he could muster. "She's our Annie, after all."

For the first time in weeks, he believed it could be true.

* * *

The next few days passed in a horrible blur. Annie had a breakdown in front of the nation during her interview with Caesar. She screamed at the audience and clawed at her ears, yelling for a woman that nobody else could hear to leave her alone. Mags, with the help of two armored Peacekeepers, escorted her off the stage, and Finnick took her place.

He pushed down the disgust he felt watching Annie's Games footage, instead keeping up a playful banter with Caesar for the cameras. He did his best to keep the conversation on this year's batch of post-Games parties; that way, he didn't have to watch as the woman he loved saw her friend beheaded and sank into madness.

Finally, the time came for President Snow to present him with the Victor's Crown. Every interaction with this reptile made him sick, but usually there was no reason to hide his anger and disgust. Here, he had to be grateful to Snow. Finnick shook as the president handed him the crown to give to Annie, and though he tried to pass it off as excitement, he knew Snow could see right through him. The man knew exactly what Annie meant to him, and he would not hesitate to use that against his most popular Victor.

When the crowning was finally finished, Finnick raced back to the District Four apartment to make sure that Annie was all right. Her attacks had not been violent recently, but he feared that the reminders of the Arena might have been too much for her.

Annie flew into his arms the moment he stepped out of the elevator. He buried his head in her hair, happy just to be close to his love again.

Tomorrow, for the first time in three months, they would be home in District Four. He and Annie could finally be together.

* * *

In the next weeks, Finnick found himself measuring time not in days or weeks, but in changes in Annie's behavior. At first, when her attacks hit, she would shout and scream, scratching her ears and cheeks in an attempt to stop the voice from hurting her. He and Mags would try to help, but found that all they could do was restrain her so she did not seriously harm herself. Luckily, that phase soon ended. Finnick believed that being home again, away from the Capitol and the memories of her Games, had helped Annie immensely. Her reactions became less severe: instead of hurting herself, she only covered her ears, though she did still scream. But eventually, even the screaming stopped. Now, Finnick was generally able to calm her down. Annie was getting better.

They took frequent walks along the beach together, wading into the surf together and holding hands. With Annie by his side, Finnick felt happier than he had in years. He wanted their friendship and love to never end, but he also knew that any lasting relationship between the two of them had to be built on honesty. He had to confess to Annie his activities in the Capitol.

He chose to bring up the topic during one of their evening walks. "Annie, I need to talk to you about something," he said.

Annie immediately noticed the nervousness in his voice and turned to look into his eyes. "Finnick, are you all right?" she asked.

A part of him wanted to nod and act as though nothing had happened, but he knew that wouldn't be fair to her. "I need to tell you about what I do in the Capitol."

Something in her face changed. "Okay," she whispered. Annie sat down on the sand, and she motioned for him to sit next to her.

For a long moment, he kept silent, allowing the water to tickle his toes. "I don't really know how to say this."

"Don't worry about wording this the right way, Finnick. Just get it out. It'll help, I promise."

He took a deep breath. "President Snow sells me and I ruined you," he blurted. Finnick buried his head in his hands, terrified that he had just scared away Annie. After all, what kind of woman would want filth like him?

He felt small, warm hands pry his hands away from his eyes. When he looked up, a pair of sparkling green eyes was just inches away from his face. "It's okay, Finnick," she murmured before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "I think I've known what was happening for a long time, but I just didn't want to accept that something so terrible could be happening to someone I cared about."

Her words soothed some of his guilt, but he could not ignore what he had done to her for long. "I'm so sorry for hurting you."

"What do you mean, Finnick? You've never, ever hurt me."

"Yes I did." His voiced cracked with emotion. "I used you. I know what sex does to people, how it ruins them. I knew how it breaks people, but I still did it with you. I'm so sorry. Believe me when I say that if I could take it back, I would."

Annie stared at him, dumbfounded. "That's ridiculous. I stand by what I said earlier – you didn't hurt me. I practically ripped your clothes off and begged you to have sex with me. That's about as far from you using me as I can possibly imagine."

"I was the experienced one. I knew exactly how sex could hurt you, but I did it anyway." Finnick would not allow her to take the blame for what had happened between them.

"Don't be difficult. Rape hurts people, not sex. I enjoyed what we did, and it's not what caused me to … to get hurt in the Arena." She forced him to look into her eyes. "Finnick Odair, you have never hurt me. Remember that."

"I'm a man, they can't rape me. Let's let this be and talk about something else. The fishing's been good this year."

Annie would not allow him change the subject. "No, what they do to you is rape," she insisted. "Snow takes your choice away, doesn't he? You can't say no to those people, and that's what makes it rape, not your gender or anything else. I've seen your face after your trips to the Capitol. You look hurt, broken. That's what they do to you. That's not what it was like between you and I, at least for me it wasn't. I hope I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Finnick shook his head. No, sex with Annie had been wonderful.

"You didn't hurt me, Finnick." Annie kissed his cheek, and only then did he realize that he'd been crying. She gathered him up in her arms and rubbed his back as he let his bottled-up emotions flow freely.

After Finnick's tears were finished, they lied together on the sand, cool without the sun to heat it. "Annie, what are we, exactly?" he asked.

"Well, you're a Finnick, and I'm an Annie. That seems pretty obvious," Annie laughed.

He snorted. "I meant, what is our relationship? Are we friends, lovers, something in between?"

"We're friends."

"Friends who kiss?" He leaned in closer to press a kiss to her lips.

Annie smiled as they separated. "That's all lovers are, best friends who kiss. Don't you agree?" She pulled him back so that his lips met hers again.

He didn't answer, because that would require breaking their embrace. He supposed she was right, in a way. He and Annie were best friends and lovers, and they did love to kiss, but they were also something more, something he doubted he'd ever have the words to explain. He didn't need words. This feeling was more than enough.

* * *

**A/N:** That concludes the main body of the story! Thank you so much for reading! Extra thanks to meksters, bsmj, and Nola for reviewing – your feedback was wonderful and super-helpful. As always, reviews are much appreciated. I do plan to write an epilogue, and it should be up sometime in the next week or two. Thanks again for reading!


	12. Epilogue

This had to be the most perfect day of Finnick's life. He had never pictured his wedding as a grand event with hundreds of guests, but he could not imagine being any happier.

"Everything is so beautiful," Annie murmured as they waltzed in front of the crowd.

Finnick had to agree. Heavensbee had truly outdone himself with the wedding plan. The dull, drab surfaces that made up District Thirteen had been brightened by adding colorful paper lanterns and fresh flowers. Now, the austere subterranean chamber looked almost cheery. He looked down to see a pair of sparkling green eyes gazing up at him. "Especially the bride, right?"

Annie blushed. He knew that she usually would have gently pushed him away, but they were in front of four hundred guests, so she was on her best behavior. "You're a flirt, Odair. I'll have to keep an eye on you." She leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him, taking any sting out of her words.

"Why would I want to wander when I've got the woman of my dreams right here with me?" Finnick smiled as he led her through a spin. "Really, though, you're gorgeous today – even more so than usual."

"Thank you. You're looking very handsome." Annie glanced around the room. "Everyone looks so _happy_."

Finnick followed her gaze. As usual, Annie was right. Both District Thirteen's residents and the refugees from the other districts were mingling with food and drinks in hand. People talked and laughed with each other, and only a few watched the bride and groom as they danced. This was the first time that Finnick had seen District Thirteen look truly alive.

"I'm so glad that this day came. I thought for years that it never would." Annie rested her cheek against his chest as they swayed in time with the music.

"Me too." He kissed the top of her head. The song, one he'd often heard whistled on the fishing boats in Four, began to come to an end. "Care for another dance?"

Annie squeaked as he stepped on her foot. "I think we'd better not. I'm not certain my toes would survive another round."

"I'm sorry. Do you need to go sit down?"

"No, it's not bad. Let's go talk with everybody. I don't want our guests to feel neglected." Annie didn't wait for a reply before she led him over to the first group of people.

Finnick smiled. Now that they were married, he would never have to let go of her hand again. Yes, it would be nice if Annie wouldn't take advantage of that and drag him wherever she wanted to go, but he was more than willing to follow just to be close to her.

Together, they circulated through the crowd, thanking each guest for coming to share their special day with them. Only after several kisses, dozens of hugs, and more good wishes than Finnick could count did they finally say their goodbyes.

As soon as they reached the hallway, Finnick swept Annie off her feet and into his arms. "Alone at last," he breathed before pressing a firm, passionate kiss to her lips. Annie sighed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. When she started undoing the buttons of the crisp white shirt he was wearing, Finnick stilled her hands. "We should probably get back to our room now. Otherwise, I think we might just end up doing this in the hallway."

"Who cares about public decency anyway?" Annie peppered his neck and chest with kisses, and Finnick wanted nothing more than to give in to her and finish this in the hallway. He moaned, and she giggled. "Ready to give up so soon, Odair?"

"Almost. I don't usually give a damn about decency, but I must admit that I don't really want Coin walking in on us."

Annie paled and pretended to heave at his comment. "And that's probably the best argument I've heard for a very quick walk back to our room. Onward!" She patted Finnick's back as though urging on a horse.

He laughed and carried her back to their cubby-like room, stopping for a quick kiss every once in a while. Looking down at his beautiful wife in her green wedding dress, Finnick had never felt more content. He was grinning like a fool as he opened the door to their shared room. If every day had even a portion of the happiness, laughter, and love that he'd experienced today, marriage would suit him well indeed.

This was what happily ever after was supposed to feel like.

* * *

"Hush, love, don't cry," Annie scooped Ronan out of his crib and tried to rock him back to sleep. The baby fussed at first, but eventually his cries faded and he drifted back to sleep. She gently set him back down in his cradle, hoping that this time, he would stay asleep for more than five minutes.

She admired her sleeping son for a few minutes. Especially when he slept, Ronan reminded her so much of Finnick. He had the same bronze hair as her husband, though Ronan's still consisted of just a few curls. Annie could already spot Finnick's strong jawline beneath her baby's chubby cheeks. Even the way Ronan slept, on his back with his right arm tucked under his head, reminded her of Finnick. Sometimes, having such a tangible reminder of her husband worsened the pain of Finnick's loss, made it feel as though she had just found out again that he would not be returning from the Capitol.

Tonight, it seemed, was one of those times. As the sun set, deep red light streamed in through the open windows. The light leaked into Ronan's crib, and her baby was covered in blood.

_You're mad, Annie Cresta, _the woman whispered. She covered her ears, but the woman refused to leave. _You're nothing, Annie Cresta. You're mad. There's no one left to care about you._

Annie wanted to scream, to run, to snatch Ronan up and hide him somewhere that the woman would never find him and whisper her terrible thoughts in his ears. She could not allow anything to happen to Ronan, but there was so much blood already that he must be dead.

Another voice, this one deep and male, spoke next. _No, Annie, you aren't mad. You're a wonderful mother, and you've protected Ronan well._

"Finnick?" Her voice was shaky, even to her own ears.

_Look into the cradle, Annie. Watch his chest. _

She followed her husband's instructions. Sure enough, she could see the steady rise and fall of Ronan's chest as he breathed. He wasn't dead. She hadn't failed him. Annie waited for a cruel reply from the woman, but none came. Instead, she contented herself with watching Ronan sleep. "He's beautiful, Finn."

This time, she hoped the voices would reply, but again, no words disturbed the silence in her bedroom. Annie placed a kiss on Ronan's soft cheek before readying herself for bed. She slipped under the covers and hoped for a restful sleep devoid of nightmares. Annie let the rhythm of Ronan's breathing lull her to sleep.

Just before she gave up her last bit of consciousness, a voice whispered to her, s_leep well, Annie. I love you._

No terrible dreams woke her that night. She always had a piece of Finnick to protect her from her demons.

* * *

**A/N:** This concludes _Metamorphosis_. Thank you so much for sticking with this story! It's been a lot of fun to write, and I'm sad that it's ending. It's lovely to see how many people have enjoyed Finnick and Annie's journey. Special thanks to bsmj, The Honey Crisp, Nola, and anyone else who has reviewed, favorite, or followed this fic. As always, any feedback is much appreciated. Thank you again,

~finnicko-loves-anniec


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